


Beautiful Killer

by svtstarlight



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band), ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: M/M, TW: mention of rape and murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-10-29 11:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20795981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svtstarlight/pseuds/svtstarlight
Summary: Based on a prompt from Sabine (@YoungSoon):A new vampire (Wooyoung) has  been terrorising Sehyoon's neighborhood. His reputation as a hunter has been impeccable so far and he won't let a new kid ruin it.Based on Hala Hala-era Wooyoung and Undercover-era Wow/Sehyoon(And yes, title shamelessly nicked from VIXX's song hehehe)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't read if reading about rape/murder is not your thing. It's not graphic, just mentioned, but better safe than sorry. 👍
> 
> I was bored and didn't want to work on MTMTE (sorry 😔) so y'all got this instead. It should only be 2 parts, but with me, who really knows? 🤷♀️

Having emerged from exam hell, Sehyoon was finally free to pay attention to what was going on in his area. Normally, everything was quiet, and he'd relied on that when he'd gone into hiding for his exams. Vampire hunter or not, he still had to go to school and pass his exams, just like everyone else. Now, however, he was regretting his life's choices. 

_While the recent deaths are unconfirmed, speculation is that a new vampire has made the area his hunting ground. Members of the public are being asked to stay in groups at night, if they must go out, for their own protection. More news later…_

Sehyoon clicked away from the news site, reaching instead for his phone. Over a dozen messages were waiting for him, and he groaned. This was the last time he took Donghun's advice to turn off his phone during exam week. Getting to his feet, Sehyoon grabbed his jacket and the pack he used for hunting, and left his apartment. He had a reputation to maintain, after all. No two-bit vampire was going to ruin it for him. 

Wooyoung wiped at his mouth, a satisfied smile on his face. Another successful hunt, with no sign of the one they said was the local hunter. So much for him, when Wooyoung was able to do whatever he wanted. Not that he really _wanted_ to be doing this, but what else was he supposed to do when he'd had the misfortune to die unexpectedly and someone had come along and made him into a vampire? All he wanted to do was live. Was that such a hard thing to accept? 

A sound broke Wooyoung from his thoughts and he looked in the direction it had come from, smirking when he saw who it was. 

"So, the great vampire hunter Kim Sehyoon has finally emerged," Wooyoung drawled, amused. "It takes what…" He paused to take a mental count. "Three bodies to bring you to find me? I thought you would come sooner than that. Not that I'm complaining, mind you…" 

He looked Sehyoon up and down, whistling appreciatively. "Though when I heard your name, I didn't expect someone so young… or so pretty," he added. 

Sehyoon's eyebrows rose. Seriously? Flirting with a hunter? He wondered if there was something wrong with this kid. No vampire flirted with a hunter, let alone so openly. 

"You know who I am," Sehyoon retorted, his nose scrunched in distaste. "But I don't know who _you_ are. Not that I need your name to kill you." He ignored the hurt look on the vampire's face. "But since you're so obviously a fledgling… it would be nice to be able to give your family closure." 

Wooyoung turned away. "My family don't care," he said bitterly. "It won't mean a thing, since I'm already dead to them. And most of my friends." He looked back at Sehyoon. "So no, I'm not going to tell you anything. If you really want to know who I am, you're going to have to work for it."

With that, he was gone, leaving Sehyoon bemused. Why hadn't he just killed the boy instead of trying to talk to him? He spent the rest of the night on patrol, no sign of the young vampire, no more victims, and no closer to discovering who he was. 

A few days later, with no new bodies turning up, Sehyoon was still bothered by the vampire boy and his insistence that nobody would care enough for him to tell Sehyoon his name. It was enough for him to talk to his best friends over lunch. 

"I can't find anything about this kid, who he is, when he died, _how_ he died… nothing," he complained to Byeongkwan and Junhee while eating his noodles. "It's driving me crazy. Surely _someone_ misses him?" 

Jun just shrugged, concentrating on his own lunch. He had a job to get back to, unlike the other two. "Have you thought maybe he's not from Seoul?" he asked around a mouthful of his sandwich. "Did he have any sort of accent? Or use satoori?" 

Sehyoon thought about the limited interaction he'd had with him, then shook his head. "No, not really," he said, tempted to start seriously hunting the kid down until he found him. "So if he's not from Seoul, maybe he's from one of the surrounding areas? I could try…" 

"What does he look like?" Byeongkwan had been quiet up to now, his nose buried in his phone. "I've got the missing persons page up now, if you want to find him that way?" 

"White-blond hair, very pretty, almost girlish…" Sehyoon said, thinking about the way he'd looked at him. "Even his voice is kind of… sweet. It's weird. He's obviously quite young…" 

Byeongkwan made a thoughtful noise. "Is this him?" he asked, turning his phone around so Sehyoon could see. It was obviously an older photo, but Sehyoon blinked at it. Jung Wooyoung, 19, from Ilsan. Yep, that sounded about right. 

"Who called it in?" Sehyoon asked, when Byeongkwan turned it back. "His family?" 

Byeongkwan shook his head. "No, someone else, a friend, I'd say." He clicked a few times. "A Kang Yeosang, it says here, age 20… so probably a childhood friend or something like that. There's a number, if you want it?" 

Sehyoon nodded, and it wasn't long before the ping came that said Byeongkwan had sent the information to him. "Thanks," he said, getting up from the table. "I'm going to try and talk to this Yeosang guy, and see what he knows." 

"Don't tell him Wooyoung is a vampire," Jun said, looking up at him and frowning. "You know that, right?" 

Rolling his eyes, Sehyoon patted the younger man's head, then impulsively ruffled his hair. "Obviously," he said wryly. "Remember who I am…" 

"Yeah, yeah, the great Kim Sehyoon, vampire hunter extraordinaire," Jun teased, grinning at Sehyoon's disgruntled expression. "Go find him and put him out of his misery…" 

"The vampire or the friend?" Sehyoon was pleased, glad they'd helped him find the kid's name and someone who cared about him. Then maybe he'd be happier about letting go of what life he had. "Be careful until I've dealt with him, ok? I don't want to find out he's killed any of you…" 

It was Byeongkwan's turn to roll his eyes. "We're not stupid, hyung. Go and talk to Yeosang already." 

"I'm going, I'm going," Sehyoon grinned, then left before he got himself, or them, into trouble for being noisy. The café wasn't a library, but people still wanted their peace and quiet to eat. 

Yeosang looked up at the young man who had asked him to meet to talk about Wooyoung's disappearance. Surprised, he didn't quite know what to say at first. 

"What can you tell me about Wooyoung?" Sehyoon asked quietly, noting how nervous Yeosang was. "I can't promise anything, but I will do my best to find him…" 

"You look awfully young to be a cop," Yeosang replied, looking dubiously at Sehyoon. "And I've told them all I know. He didn't come home from school and it's been six months now." His hands started to shake and he drew them back under the table to hide them. "He doesn't have any debts to run from, or anything like that." 

"I'm not a cop," Sehyoon said, hoping it would help soothe Yeosang's nerves. "I'm more of a private investigator, trying to find him. But I need to know what he's like, places he went to, people he was friends with, his personality… his family, anything you can tell me." 

Yeosang's expression turned hard at the mention of Wooyoung's family. "It would be a good idea not to mention his family if you ever do find him," he said coldly. "They kicked him out, disowned him because he was friends with… people of low quality, as his parents called anyone who didn't fit their ideal. Anyone who didn't have money, or who was…" He looked around warily. "Gay. They told him to stop, but he refused. So they accused him of being gay too and disowned him." 

Yeosang snorted. "And many of those very same friends ditched him when they found out, because he didn't have the status they were after for being his friend. Pathetic." He sighed. "There's really only me and San left." 

Blinking at Yeosang, Sehyoon didn't know what to say. It explained Wooyoung's attitude towards his family, and he could certainly understand being bitter, especially if he wasn't even gay. "What about Wooyoung's personality? Any help in working out where he might have gone is welcome…" he said, feeling awkward.

"Wooyoung wasn't suicidal, if that's what you're thinking," Yeosang said, giving Sehyoon a hard look. "The police certainly thought so, but he wasn't like that. If anything, it made him more determined to succeed without them. He's not gay either, despite what his parents think." 

Sehyoon didn't know what to say to that, not when Wooyoung had been flirting with him the one time they'd met. Maybe he had changed after becoming a vampire, he didn't know. 

"Look, just find him. Please." Yeosang was earnest. "Wooyoung is like a brother to me, and I… not knowing what happened to him is killing me. If he's still alive, I just want him to come home." Yeosang's voice broke and he ducked his head, blinking back tears. "If he's not, then at least I know…" 

"I'll do my best to bring you some kind of closure," Sehyoon said quietly, his heart aching. Wooyoung was lucky to have a friend like Yeosang, who cared so much about him. He got to his feet. "Thank you for your time, and I will let you know as soon as I find him." 

"Thank you for trying," Yeosang said, rising from his chair to bow to Sehyoon in gratitude. "Nobody else seems to care. I don't know why you do, but I'm grateful. Wooyoung is a good person, and I… we miss him, so much. San couldn't come today; he had to work, especially since Wooyoung has been gone for so long. It's not easy without him." 

Sehyoon nodded, then left before he said something he shouldn't; the obvious regard his friends held for Wooyoung touched him. But it also made his job harder. He needed to be able to deal with Wooyoung when the time came, not feel sorry for him. He was still a vampire, killing the people Sehyoon had vowed to protect. 

Almost as though his visit with Yeosang had kickstarted something, that night saw Sehyoon being informed of a sighting, the boy eluding him as soon as he got to the location, only to find a body and no sign of Wooyoung himself. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, then called it in. If Wooyoung was true to the pattern he'd set, this would be the only one he'd find. He sighed, getting to his feet. 

"Yeosang didn't mention he was so sneaky," he grumbled as he rubbed his hands on his pants to get rid of the feeling of touching a dead body. Then he turned, hearing an odd sound. 

"You saw Yeosang?" Wooyoung's voice sounded from somewhere above, though Sehyoon couldn't see through the darkness. "How do you know Yeosang?" 

"He's looking for you, Wooyoung," Sehyoon replied as calmly as he could, looking up. "He and San… they're desperate for you to come home, but… I didn't tell him why you can't." 

Wooyoung dropped to a crouch in front of Sehyoon, his expression unreadable. "So you know who I am, then," he said, his voice neutral. "That was faster than I thought…" He straightened. "Why didn't you tell him you knew…" Wooyoung swallowed heavily. "I'm dead. You couldn't have told him that? He doesn't need to know I'm…" 

"What could I tell him, Wooyoung?" Sehyoon was exasperated. "I don't know anything about you. He was bound to ask, so what was I supposed to say? I am not going to lie to him. He doesn't deserve that, not when he loves you." 

"He doesn't deserve to know I'm a vampire either, Sehyoon. It would hurt him." Wooyoung's calm facade cracked, a little of his pain showing in his eyes. "He thinks I'm a good person. I'm not, not anymore… Not when I have to kill people in order to live." His fists clenched by his sides. "I don't want him to know what happened to me. It would hurt too much." 

Sehyoon sighed. "Him, or you? I can't lie to him, I told you that. What _did_ happen to you? How… did you become a vampire? You might think you're fooling me, but you're not. I can tell you hate it." 

Wooyoung turned away, his head bowed. If Sehyoon killed him while his back was turned, then at least it was over. "What else was I supposed to do? I didn't want to die. I shouldn't have died in the first place. Especially not…" His voice cracked, his emotions getting the better of him as he turned back to look at Sehyoon. "Not being murdered, just for looking pretty." 

Sehyoon stared at Wooyoung in shock. He'd assumed it was an accident, not… this. "What happened, Wooyoung?" he asked softly. "Do you know who killed you? I can have them brought to justice…" 

"Spare me the fake sympathy, hunter," Wooyoung said, his voice going cold. "You haven't been paying attention, obviously. Or maybe you just don't care, despite your pretty words. These…" He gestured to the body on the ground. "People. The ones I killed. If you look them up, you'll find they're wanted…" He took a deep breath, looking straight at Sehyoon. "For the rape and murder of young men and boys." 

Suddenly feeling cold, Sehyoon shivered. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "You're right. I wasn't paying attention. I'm a hunter, so I didn't think…" He sighed. "I'm sorry they… did that to you. I wouldn't be very happy if it happened to me either. But… who turned you? They're not vampires…" 

"I did." A new voice entered their conversation, a tall dark-haired man walking out of the shadows to stand behind Wooyoung. "Unfortunately I was too late to take care of these creatures, but I saved Wooyoung." 

The man looked almost as young as Wooyoung, but his eyes showed his age, eyes that looked to have seen too much of the worst of human society.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wooyoung's mysterious sire is revealed, as is some interesting information about him. Just as all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As kind of expected, the story has gotten away from me a bit, so it's going to be a little longer than I'd hoped. 🤦♀️

Sehyoon's hands automatically went to his weapons as soon as the older vampire appeared, both Wooyoung and the stranger stiffening. 

"If you try to kill Wooyoung, I will kill you, hunter," the man said, his voice calm. His arm went around Wooyoung's chest protectively. "I'm sure you're aware I'm not like the usual vampires you've come across. You won't be able to kill me as easily as you have them." 

"He doesn't want to kill people," Sehyoon objected, his eyes on them both. "Why are you keeping him alive against his will?" 

"Seonghwa-hyung, please," Wooyoung pleaded softly, his eyes following Sehyoon's every move. "Don't…" 

Staring at them, Sehyoon wondered just what he'd gotten himself into. Park Seonghwa, one of the oldest vampires in Seoul was Wooyoung's sire? He was aware Seonghwa's threat was not an empty one; there were stories of the chaos he'd left after his lover and two of his children were killed by hunters during the Occupation. Sehyoon removed his hands, letting them hang by his sides, and Seonghwa relaxed, even if Wooyoung did not. 

"He wanted revenge for his murder," Seonghwa said with a shrug. "I gave him the wherewithal to accomplish it, which is more than it seems your human police force or so-called justice system was willing to do. It's not like he has killed indiscriminately either; every person has either been a killer themselves, or an equally dangerous person. Drug kingpins, mafia types… People your society allows to ruin others' lives." 

Seonghwa sniffed. "Like Wooyoung said, you hunters don't pay attention or you'd know this." 

"They may have been nasty, evil people, but he still doesn't enjoy it," Sehyoon said, shaking his head. At Seonghwa's expression, it might have been the wrong thing to say. "You can't deny he said it hurts him that he has to do this." 

"No sane vampire _enjoys_ killing, hunter," Seonghwa snapped angrily. "And the ones who do deserve to be put down like the animals they are." The arm he had around Wooyoung tightened. "We only do what we must, the same as you, yet we aren't allowed the same right to live as you humans. How is that fair?" 

"You still kill people." 

"So do you," Seonghwa retorted, snorting. "Far more than any vampires, and for far less. Hypocrisy is not a good look, as you humans say…" 

While Seonghwa and Sehyoon argued back and forth, Wooyoung squirmed in Seonghwa's hold, uncomfortable at the entire conversation. He had the uneasy feeling something was going to happen and he didn't like it.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Kim Sehyoon." Yet another voice suddenly was added to the conversation, and Sehyoon started, looking almost guilty as another, more experienced hunter appeared out of the shadows, his weapons ready. "Even more surprised to see these vampires alive enough to argue with you. You're normally quicker than this…" 

Sehyoon looked down. He couldn't explain why he'd let Wooyoung escape the first time, let alone why he hadn't killed him _now_ to himself, nevermind anyone else. "He makes valid points, Hongbin-sunbae," he said quietly. "If you heard enough…" 

Hongbin sniffed, shaking his head. "They would, but it doesn't matter. We have a job to do, or have you forgotten that fact?" He glared across the small lot at Seonghwa, who remained unruffled by the animosity. "Vampires cannot coexist with humans. It's a simple fact of life." 

Seonghwa laughed mirthlessly. "Humans can't coexist with each other, let alone anyone or anything else they deem unacceptable," he said, shaking his head. "The hypocrisy…" 

"I didn't ask for your input, vampire," Hongbin snapped irritably. "I will deal with you soon enough. Your little plaything too." He looked at Wooyoung, who had gone still, his eyes wide. "Making them younger and younger these days are you?" 

Sehyoon gasped, his eyes going wide with shock at Hongbin's disrespect. Did he have a death wish? "Hongbin-sunbae, be careful," he said quietly, grabbing at the other man's sleeve. "You do know who this is, don't you?" 

Hongbin turned his glare on Sehyoon. "Do I look like I care?" he sneered, looking back at Wooyoung. "Now take care of this kid and his sire, or you can kiss your career goodbye, _Hyung_." 

Sehyoon blinked at him, his expression darkening. "And if I choose not to?" he said, aware Wooyoung was now staring at him. "He didn't do anything wrong, if you look at who the people he killed were and what they did." 

"He's a _bloodsucker_. We don't let them live, no matter who they are or who they've killed. It's not our job to pick and choose…" Hongbin was relentless. "Either you do it, or I will." 

Seonghwa tightened his hold on Wooyoung still further, ready to toss him to safety if he had to. And then kill the hunters. But before he could decide what to do, everything went to hell. 

Unsatisfied with Sehyoon's reaction to his words, or rather, lack thereof, Hongbin moved, the sharpened silver knives thrown in Wooyoung's direction, only to be stopped in their path by a human body, which dropped to the ground a moment later. Wooyoung cried out at the same time as Sehyoon, pulling away from Seonghwa to run to Sehyoon's side. Hongbin had grabbed another set of knives, but it was too late; Seonghwa, freed of having to worry about Wooyoung, took the young hunter by the throat and in one swift movement, broke his neck, dropping Hongbin's body to the ground. 

"Wooyoung…" Seonghwa turned to look at Wooyoung, confused when he saw the younger vampire in tears, holding Sehyoon in his arms. "What are you doing?" 

"Yeah," Sehyoon breathed, "What he said." Everything hurt, but at least Wooyoung was safe. He couldn't explain his actions, but couldn't and wouldn't regret it, despite everything. "Go, before someone else…" 

"No," Wooyoung said, still crying. "Stupid hunter. Why did you do this?" He looked over at Seonghwa, pleadingly. "Save him, please. He was trying to save _me_." 

Seonghwa sighed. 

"He is a hunter, Wooyoung. Hunters don't always take well to this life, you know that." 

"_You_ did," Wooyoung said desperately, his arms tightening on Sehyoon so he wouldn't drop him in his emotional state. "Just give him the chance. _Please_." 

Sehyoon blinked slowly, starting to feel numb. Park Seonghwa had been a hunter? This was news to him, and probably most other hunters, for that matter. No wonder he'd been able to stay alive for so long. He knew how hunters operated because he'd been one. Not that the information was going to help him now. Sehyoon knew he was dying. 

Seonghwa approached warily, staring down at Sehyoon in Wooyoung's arms. "Well, hunter?" he asked, his voice giving little away as to his true thoughts and feelings on what had just happened. "Are you willing to put everything you knew aside in order to live?" Like he had done, though Seonghwa didn't say it out loud. 

Looking up at Wooyoung, Sehyoon tried to smile through the numbness. "I can try," he said around a throat full of blood choking off his breath. "If you can do it, I can…" Too exhausted to keep his eyes open, Sehyoon closed them, hearing the hitch in Wooyoung's breathing. 

"Seonghwa-hyung, please," Wooyoung said, his voice frantic. "He doesn't have much longer…" With Sehyoon now limp in his arms, Wooyoung felt close to breaking. "_Please_..."

As everything started to go black for Sehyoon, he suddenly felt a searing pain in his neck, the sensation making him gasp and then choke. The pain disappeared within seconds and Sehyoon felt an odd sort of regret mixed with relief. How was he going to keep his promise to Yeosang? Even that left him as Seonghwa took what remained of his life, thought and vision blank. 

Wooyoung felt the moment Sehyoon died, a cry of pain and grief escaping him as he fell to his knees. Seonghwa had taken Sehyoon from his arms and he hugged himself, devastated. He'd admired Sehyoon's spirit and sense of honour, the fact that he'd tried to help Wooyoung and his friends get closure not lost on him. His head bowed, Wooyoung sobbed, heartbroken. 

"Wooyoung…" 

Feeling Seonghwa's hand on his shoulder, Wooyoung looked up, tears streaming from his eyes, making it difficult to see. 

"It is done," Seonghwa said quietly, then glanced back at where he'd left the young hunter's body on the ground a few metres away. "If he survives the change, he will awaken tomorrow evening. We need to leave now, though. Can't you hear the sirens?" 

Letting Seonghwa help him to his feet, Wooyoung didn't know what to do or say anymore. The fragile hope he'd had that Yeosang and San would finally know what happened to him was gone with the young hunter's death; there was no way for Sehyoon to talk to them now, even if he survived the change. Distracted by his thoughts, Wooyoung was pulled along by Seonghwa, who was now carrying Sehyoon. 

Just minutes after the two disappeared, the emergency services pulled up, surprised to see two bodies where they'd been told to expect one, and no sign of the young hunter who had called them. 

It had been a few days since Sehyoon had last been seen or heard from, and Junhee was growing concerned. "Do you still have that guy's name and number?" he asked Byeongkwan after yet another text to Sehyoon went unanswered. "The one who Sehni said he was going to talk to…" 

Byeongkwan looked up. "Yeah, why?" 

"Sehni hasn't been answering his phone, his email, or any texts. It's not like him," Junhee said, staring at his phone. "Not since that day we saw him…" He sighed. "I was going to ask this Yeosang guy if he'd seen him or had any idea where Sehyoon might have gone." 

A ping had him looking hopefully at his phone, a frown appearing when all he saw was the message from Byeongkwan with Yeosang's number. "I'm going to call him…" 

Byeongkwan nodded, still looking at his own phone. "Tell me what he says," he said quietly, finally turning back to Junhee. "I can't find anything myself; all I could find was a couple of bodies were found that night, one of them a hunter. Who wasn't Sehni. After that, nothing. It's as if he's dropped off the face of the earth." His expression was shadowed. "Like the kid he said he was looking for." 

Junhee nodded, then got to his feet. "I'll be back," he said, putting a hand on Byeongkwan's shoulder as he left to call Yeosang. It wasn't long before he was back, a surprisingly pretty young man in tow. "This is Yeosang," he said at Byeongkwan's confused expression. "He's looking for Sehyoon too." 

"He said he was going to find Wooyoung, but I haven't heard anything more," Yeosang explained, his voice soft. "I'd heard about the bodies, but they never said the name of the hunter… It's not… _him_, is it?" 

Another man appeared, putting an arm around Yeosang. "This is San," Yeosang said, introducing him. "These are Sehyoon's friends…" 

San nodded, his expression solemn. "We were hoping you could tell us if you've heard anything from him yet…" 

"Jun," Junhee said, pointing to himself, then at Byeongkwan. "That's Byeongkwan. And no, we were just going to ask you the same thing. Sehni has gone missing…" 

Yeosang looked sad. "I'm sorry," he said, "He went looking for Wooyoung and now he's gone too…" And with it, their hopes of finding Wooyoung. Turning to San, Yeosang buried his face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"The hunter who was killed wasn't Sehyoon," Byeongkwan said, feeling awkward at the obvious display of emotions. "It was a more experienced hunter, so we're kind of confused. Why him and not Sehyoon, and what's happened to him…? We don't know. He hasn't been in touch at all…"

"But if he does, we'll tell you," Junhee said.

Turning away with his arms around Yeosang, San looked back and nodded his thanks. "Let's go home," he murmured softly, leading Yeosang back to their car, the rest of their conversation lost as they left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get a new vampire to feed is a pain, especially when he keeps deflecting. And making Wooyoung feel things he's not sure he wants to. 
> 
> Denial ain't just a river in Egypt...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time kind of got away from me, but I did it. Somehow. Motivation has been hard to find this month, as well as inspiration. But I'm getting there. 👍

Wooyoung looked at Seonghwa, frustrated. "He said he would be ok with this," he said, the older vampire shrugging at him. "He needs to feed. Or drink this." He held out a blood pack, only for Sehyoon to refuse it yet again, looking miserable. Kneeling in front of the hunter, Wooyoung looked up at him. 

"If you want to see your friends again, you need to do this, Kim Sehyoon," he said, his voice firm. "You don't want to attack them, or anyone else, do you?"

"It tastes funny," Sehyoon muttered sullenly. "I don't like it." 

Looking up at Seonghwa then back at Sehyoon, Wooyoung sighed. "You know, I didn't like it either," he said quietly, noting Sehyoon was at least paying attention to what he was saying. "I still don't. But I'd rather do that than kill innocent people." He shook his head when Sehyoon opened his mouth to speak. "Those cretins don't count. They're not innocent in any sense of the word…" 

"Wooyoung has always refused to feed from humans if he can possibly avoid it," Seonghwa said gently. "He only preys on those who prey on others. For those other times when we cannot avoid it, he uses these." He hefted a blood pack in his hands. "I do what I must to keep him alive, and that now extends to you, hunter. Whether you like it or not."

"I'm not a hunter anymore, am I?" Sehyoon asked bitterly. "I can't be… a vampire and hunt them at the same time." 

Seonghwa stared at him. "Why not?" He set the blood down on the nearby desk, then sat beside Sehyoon on the bed. "I am aware there are those of us who have no scruples and will hunt anyone they can, just _because_ they can. Not even to feed, just for the thrill of the kill." He looked away. "Not all that different from humans at all. Just more deadly."

"You don't want to be like that, do you?" Wooyoung asked, still kneeling in front of him. "Seonghwa told me some of them get like that because they were starved when they first turned. It made them blood-thirsty, not just in the traditional sense, but just… I don't know, angry and bitter at everything and anything." 

"There's a bit more to it than that," Seonghwa said, patting Wooyoung's shoulder. "But that's the general gist of it. Poor treatment leads to poorly behaved people and vampires alike." He gave Sehyoon a stern look. "Something I will not allow." 

He picked up the blood pack and set it down on Sehyoon's lap. "Your choices are this, or live blood, and as a hunter…" Seonghwa gave him a pointed look. 

Sehyoon sighed and took the blood pack Seonghwa gave him, drinking from it as Wooyoung had shown him, though he made a face once he'd finished. Wooyoung handed him another, and after a tired glare, Sehyoon drank it too, giving the empty plastic packs back to him for disposal. 

"Believe it or not, you're doing better than I expected," Seonghwa said as Wooyoung disappeared. "And as I said, there's no reason why you can't still hunt. Not everyone sees things like we do, nor do they behave as they should." 

Sehyoon snorted. "I can just see the headline: local hunter turned vampire hunting his own kind." 

Seonghwa shrugged. "Only if you prefer to do your hunting the same way you always have," he said. "But that leaves you open to other hunters who don't care, like the one who killed you, who will only see you as a vampire needing to be dealt with." He looked thoughtful. "If you hunt quietly and carefully, without the fanfare you enjoyed while human…" 

Looking down at his hands, Sehyoon was quiet for several moments. "If you were a hunter, why did _you_ stop hunting after you were… turned?" It had been driving him crazy ever since he'd found out Seonghwa had once been a hunter too. "Why tell me to keep hunting if you didn't?" 

Seonghwa smirked. "Who says I stopped hunting?" he replied, his smile widening at the startled expression on Sehyoon's face. "I did say there have always been terrible vampires, just like there are terrible humans. I don't like them any more now than I did while human. I'm just a lot better and faster now." He grinned. "And quieter about it. I don't need the world to know what I'm doing." 

It made a weird kind of sense to Sehyoon when he thought about it. While he _had_ enjoyed the validation of his peers and the general public, it hadn't been why he'd become a hunter in the first place. He'd only wanted to help keep the people he cared for safe. 

"What about Wooyoung?" Sehyoon asked, his voice even quieter; the young vampire could return at any moment. "Why won't he… at least tell his friends what happened to him, so they have some kind of closure? They miss him, and it's obvious he loves and misses them too." 

"They wouldn't understand," Wooyoung said, standing in the doorway with a sad look on his face. "To them, I was always the one they needed to look after, take care of, their sweet little brother who couldn't and wouldn't hurt a fly. Knowing I'm a vampire who's killed however many people, no matter how nasty they were…" 

"They _would_ understand, Wooyoung," Sehyoon said quietly. "Don't underestimate them or their love for you. They know you're not perfect, they just want to see you happy." He looked down again. "Though I guess you're not happy, so…" 

"I am grateful to Seonghwa-hyung, don't misunderstand," Wooyoung said softly. "I didn't want to die, and I still don't. I just… haven't reconciled the fact that I have to kill people, however horrible they are. That I have to live hidden away from people who want to kill me, just because I'm different. But I'm happy enough with Hyung. He treats me well, gives me more than anyone else ever has…" 

He smiled at Seonghwa fondly. "And all without expectations. Without wanting more from me than I can give." Wooyoung looked at Sehyoon. "He will do the same for you." 

Sehyoon looked away. He didn't have the same issues as Wooyoung; he knew that while his friends would certainly be shocked and upset, they wouldn't hate him. They'd just hate the situation that had led up to it. But he had to come to terms with it himself first, and get control over himself before he could see anyone from his life before. 

"I'm sure he will," Sehyoon finally said when it seemed Wooyoung was waiting for an answer. "I'm not sure I'm worth it, but I will try. I want to see my friends. And to be able to help yours…" He looked up at Wooyoung stubbornly, a little surprised to see Wooyoung right in front of him. "You deserve that little bit of happiness too…"

He gave a little shrug and a sigh. "I still don't know why you were playing games with me," Sehyoon added, shaking his head. "It feels like you _wanted_ to get caught, if not killed. Why?" 

Wooyoung flushed, biting his lip. "I've seen you hunting," he admitted softly, using all his courage not to look away. "You were, you _are_ admirable and honourable, even when the vampires you hunted weren't. I liked that. It's…" Wooyoung looked away. "I don't know..."

Sehyoon blinked. "I thought you weren't…" 

Giving a one-shouldered shrug, Wooyoung stared at the floor. "I'm not…" Or at least he didn't think he was, which wasn't necessarily the same thing. "Though before you ask, no, Seonghwa has never forced himself on me, or even asked me to do anything with him. So…"

Seonghwa coughed slightly, his expression a mix of sad and embarrassed. "I am not that kind of person," he said quietly, not looking at either of them. "I had someone and he's gone. I haven't met anyone like him since…"

"You don't need anyone like him, Seonghwa," Sehyoon said softly, feeling awkward given what he knew. "You shouldn't compare anyone with him, because we're all going to be different. It's inevitable. Look for someone who has what you need _now_. Because I'm sure it's probably different than what you needed then."

Wooyoung nodded in agreement. "I keep telling you, you shouldn't deny yourself love just because you've already had it once. You can have it again, as many times as you need or want…"

"No," Seonghwa said quietly but firmly. "I appreciate the concern, but it's not a priority for me right now." He looked pointedly at Sehyoon, then at Wooyoung. "I have you two, and that's more than enough for me at the present time. I don't think I can deal with a relationship at the same time as two fledglings…" 

His expression turned sly. "Especially not if said fledglings decide they want to be in a relationship with each other," he added, smirking at their shocked expressions. 

"It's not like that," Wooyoung protested, looking everywhere but at Sehyoon. "I just… I just admire him, ok?" 

Sehyoon couldn't help but laugh at Wooyoung's reaction, the young vampire glaring at him for it.

"What?" Wooyoung asked defensively, starting to pout as they both looked at him with amused expressions. "Are you saying you _want_ to? With me?"

Chuckling softly as he looked away, Sehyoon shrugged. "You said it yourself," he said, unable to keep from teasing Wooyoung. "You're pretty." He sobered. "And you do have glowing recommendations from your friends. They love you, Wooyoung. If a stranger like me can tell…" 

"There's no need to decide anything right now," Seonghwa added softly, aware of Wooyoung's conflicting feelings. "We all need to get to know each other first before anything else happens with anyone. I don't want to deal with either of you being assholes if you jumped into a relationship and it went south, so you're going to start out properly." 

"Why are you picking on me?" Wooyoung whined, stamping his feet like a little child. "I said I admire him. That's all it is." 

"If you say so," Seonghwa grinned, shaking his head. He thought it was interesting the hunter hadn't denied his interest in Wooyoung, and wondered if Wooyoung had noticed. He would wait and see, but like he'd said, he was going to make sure they had a solid friendship before anything else.


End file.
